An inventor is simply a person who doesn't take his education too seriously. He tries and fails maybe a 1000 times. If he succeeds once then he's in.
Source: In A Kick in the Seat of the Pants, by Roger von Oech, 1986.
-- Charles Kettering, (Aug 29 1876-1958), US engineer, inventor; Boss; invented the electric starter, 1911 and the electric cash register.